I loved that this was an anthology celebrating the magic of reading YA. I was hoping it would be something I might share with students as we work on studying books. I wish this had been around when I was in school. It makes lit analysis so fun and approachable. It strips the stories down to their technical make-up, breaking them down to their nuts and bolts to show us what goes into a good story. With practical advice like tips on world building, imagery, and characterization, it’s the perfect workbook for aspiring or actual authors. I think this could be a great addition to our school library and one to share with students interested in writing, for sure. In the classroom, I think teachers could use it to help students almost the Masterclasses that are offered or Stephen King on Writing. Except working with high school students, it focuses on lit for them. The intro by Pan explains why a good short story is so hard to write, which makes this collection even more impressive. I think that is important for kids to remember when they are struggling that lots of people struggle, but it is still possible. The stories are great and diverse, and I ordered a copy for our school because I enjoyed it so much.

I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but I loved reading a few by some of my favorite YA authors. I did enjoy that so many wonderful authors came together for this collection.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a really unique book, because it’s a mashup of story collection, analysis, and writing advice. While not all of the stories worked for me, I did like the collection as a whole .

This was an interesting collection, not only for the stories, but for the essays, as well. There were, of course, some stories I liked more than others, but whatever the case with the story, the essays that accompanied them were all illuminating in some way. This is a great collection for readers and writers alike, helping you look at fiction - short stories in particular - through a whole new lens.

I really enjoyed this read. I thought it was very powerful and well edited. I often have a hard time getting into short stories and anthologies but this one really captured me.

True rating 4.5
I've never read a collection of short stories before. Not like this. But I loved most of them. I definitely think this is a book, more like a craft book better savored in a physical format. I've never before have wanted to scribble along the margins of a book before but with this one, I felt the need to take notes. It's a book full of short, concise stories that leave you begging for more and yet are complete. Each story ends with a "lesson" of sorts that explains what works and how it draws the reader in. I love this quote "Tell the blank page a story, and it will tell you who you are." And it's true. Through writing, some people learn about themselves and are able to better express their feelings. This book will appeal the both readers and writers alike but i think writers will connect to them on a deeper level.

This is definitely a book that I will share with students! It is unique in that it provides valuable tips to the reader about writing. I love YA and this was the perfect book to read . Quick stories and the time to reflect worked for me. I am sure this will find itself in many classroom libraries!

Foreshadow:Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA is an engaging and accessible read that will empower readers to discover new authors.

The collaborative effort by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, which originated from their website, has brought together a short story compilation from 13 bold new YA voices entitled, Foreshadow: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA. “Ranging from contemporary romance to mind-bending fantasy, the Foreshadow stories showcase underrepresented voices and highlight the beauty and power of YA fiction.” Each story is cradled by an introduction from YA powerhouses such as Laurie Halse Anderson and Jason Reynolds and a closer look at the techniques that each story uses by editors Emily and Nova. There are many layers of richness in this book that would make this a great resource in the classroom. As readers, you and your students will love the twists and turns in the short stories. As teachers of writing and for some of us who are also writers you will have a deep appreciation for the essays on craft and technique that Emily and Nova include, along with the writing prompts that encourage you to be brave and try that technique yourself.

As a teacher, I am constantly searching for model texts for my students. This offers a unique look inside the author's perception of their own writing, model texts that are so beautiful they will give you goosebumps, and writing prompts to inspire young writers. This book will always have a space in my writer's workshop.

Foreshadow is a fantastic short story collection featuring OwnVoices stories from new authors. The way these new voices wrote really impactful stories in vastly different genres blew me away - many of these stories had fantastical or supernatural elements, and I was truly impressed by the incredible world-building these writers were able to do in such a short time. This book is so unique as a book on craft and an exploration of the magic of storytelling with well-known YA authors introducing the stories and the editors, Emily X. R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma, breaking the story down and analyzing different stylistic elements, writing techniques, themes, motifs, symbols, etc. I will definitely be investing in my own finished copy of this brilliant anthology.

These short stories were exactly what I've been in the mood for this week. Quick but impactful reads by great new voices with introductions from some of the best ya authors out there. You can't beat that.

THIS ONE HAD INTERESTING INFORMATION AND GREAT ADVICE FROM OTHERS. THANK YOU ALGONQUIN BOOKS FOR THIS COPY!!!!!!!!

I was invited to take part in the blog tour for this book, and spotlighted its release on my blog. What an amazing, unique anthology that really shows the power of the YA genre! These stories were brilliant, and what an incredible idea to include essays about the art and craft of YA. I hope future YA anthologies take a cue from this one and its dedication to uplifting diverse and emerging voices.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is PERFECT for aspiring writers. It not only includes 13 stories of various genres, but also explains different writing techniques and demonstrates them. While I didn't necessarily enjoy every single story, I still felt like the book was helpful as a whole. It was a quick and easy read, too. If you enjoyed Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly or Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, you will enjoy this anthology!

“After all, what’s the point of storytelling magic if it isn’t shared.” Love the idea of different authors and different glimpses into the writing process.

Flight: 4*
Sweet meats: 5* (my favorite)
Glow: 4*
Escape: 4*
Pan Dulce: 4*
Solace: 4*
Princess: 3*
Fools: 5*
Monsters: 3*
Break: 3*
Resilient: 3*
Belly: 4*

Foreshadow is a short story collection featuring works from 13 up-and-coming YA authors. Each story is introduced by a veteran YA author, and is followed up by an essay from either of the editors about the technical aspects of writing. I always love finding new voices in fiction, and I appreciated Suma and Pan’s commentary on topics such as voice, romantic tension, and the creep factor; they were very insightful to me as a reviewer and I definitely will take them into account in future reviews.

FLIGHT (Tanya S. Aydelott) │ This short story follows an unnamed girl and is based on selkie tales. I didn’t know about these legends about women whose skins have been stolen, but in her author’s note (seriously, never skip over them), Aydelott mentions that in such stories, the selkies have little agency, something that she wanted to challenge in “Flight”. I thought that this was an intriguing, sweeping story about identity, secrets, and the mother-daughter dynamic. I also loved Aydelott’s lyrical, dreamlike writing that fit the story perfectly.

RISK (Rachel Hylton) │ “Risk” reminded me a bit of Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”, which I had to read for my English class sophomore year of college and was really weirded out by (Hylton’s author’s note confirms that she was indeed inspired by that story) because it involves a teenage girl named Marnie literally turning into a lobster, but it was so creative. Hylton tells the story through the first-person plural perspective of the other sophomore girls at Marnie’s high school, and it was interesting to read the girls’ conflicting perspectives on the matter. “Risk” is a bit out there for sure, but it serves as great commentary on the social dynamic between high school girls and how we, as readers and viewers, tend to interpret fictitious depictions of them.

SWEETMEATS (Linda Cheng) │ This is a dark fairy tale that follows longtime best friends Mei and Marlie in the weeks after they are rescued from a kidnapper that they know only as “the witch”. Mei narrates the story, and we see how she appears to come out unscathed, but has to bear witness to her best friend beginning to engage in destructive behaviors. The descriptions of Marlie’s borderline-psychopathic tendencies were harrowing, as were the reports of all the missing girls from Mei and Marlie’s town. Though the reader does have to suspend their disbelief, Cheng also tackles the real-life issues of trauma and cultural differences within this far-fetched short story.

TW/CW: kidnapping

GLOW (Joanna Truman) │ “Glow” is an emotional ode to the dramatic-ness of adolescence. It follows two girls named Beth and Naia, who hold the ability to “end to world” in their hands. In her author’s note, Truman touches upon the idea that, to a teenager, pretty much anything can be the end of the world, leaving the story open to interpretation. While plotting to end the world, though, Beth comes to terms with her feelings for Naia. Truman effectively writes an entire slow-burn romance within a small number of pages, and it was seriously so well done.

ESCAPE (Tanvi Berwah) │This is an unexpectedly twisty story about a young woman named Lila and a family heirloom. Lila wants to inherent her mother’s pochette, but her cousin claims it when Lila’s mother passes away from cancer. Over Christmas when she is 16, Lila makes a bold attempt to claim what is rightfully hers, only to learn the strange history behind the centuries-old bag. I like how Berwah focuses on family dynamics in an extended family, showcasing how Lila’s relationship with her grandparents and cousins impacts her, and how something that happened to her ancestors 400 years prior continues to impact her family. “Escape” was certainly a deftly-written, intriguing story.

PAN DULCE (Flor Salcedo)│ “Pan Dulce” is based on the author’s own experience as a teenager in the late nineties living on the U.S.-Mexico border. It follows Rosa, who sneaks over from El Paso, Texas, to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, one night with friends to party. It reads like a classic teen rebellion story, with Rosa acting as though she’s invincible despite her mother’s concerns, but the stakes are slowly raised and it’s so well done. Like Truman does in “Glow”, in “Pan Dulce”, Salcedo packs an entire slow-burn story into a matter of pages. Sharp and to-the-point, it’s a reminder that no matter how much we progress as a society, danger still lurks.

SOLACE (Nora Elghazzawi) │ This a gorgeous story about survivor’s guilt, hope, and love. It follows a young woman named Laila who becomes a shell of her former self after her younger brother dies in an accident because she thinks it should have been her. Elghazzawi writes about how Laila heals by keeping a garden, developing a friendship with a boy in a similar position, and ultimately, following her dreams. The writing was so lyrical and dreamlike, and even if it’s short, “Solace” effectively moved me to tears.

TW/CW: accidental death, eating disorder, description of injury

PRINCESS (Maya Prasad) │”Princess” is a science-fiction piece based upon Indian mythology in which Prasad accomplishes a surprising amount of worldbuilding in a small amount of pages. It follows 17-year-old Leela, who lives somewhere in outer space, when she returns with her mom to her home planet. While there, Leela learns that she has a tumor that can be removed–for a price. Leela finds herself in what’s supposed to be a utopia of sorts, but in the year that she’s stuck there, she becomes frustrated at how her life has had to be put on hold. “Princess” is an interesting story and a stark reminder that the choices we make have many consequences.

FOOLS (Gina Chen) │I’ll admit that I found this short story to be a little strange, but it is a fantasy piece so the need to suspend one’s disbelief is expected. “Fools” follows a young girl who had her heart taken from her as a baby, and who lives with other girls in similar positions. Chen’s writing is so dreamlike, and her use of imagery in her many uses of figurative language really shines. The inclusion of Chinese culture, aesthetics, and language was really well done, too, and integreated seamlessly.

MONSTERS (Adriana Marachlian) │ “Monsters” follows Milagros, a Venezuelan immigrant who discovers that she can see monsters when she arrives in New York. In her author’s note, Marachlian talks about how she simply wanted to write a story about a Venezuelan girl, but “Monsters” is so much more than that. Marachlian creates a creepy atmosphere in New York City (which has been used as a backdrop in countless stories) by writing chilling descriptions that only Milagros sees. “Monsters” is somewhat longer than the other works in this collection which threw me off a bit, but it was worth it for the creep factor.

BREAK (Sophie Meridien) │ “Break” is a romantic story that follows Kiki, a straight-laced teenage girl who decides that it’s finally time to step out of her comfort zone. She becomes involved with various games of “spin the bottle”, and ends up being repeatedly paired up with an intriguing boy named Kastov. “Break” is a relatable story about bending the rules, experiencing microaggressions, and relationships. I love how Meridien includes Kiki’s thought process over her budding romance, including whether her parents will approve or if Kastov is really worth it. I was also the straight-laced girl at my high school, and part of me wishes that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone like Kiki does.

RESILIENT (Mayra Cuevas) │ “Resilient” is a story about accepting major, unprecedented changes in life. It follows a young Puerto Rican woman named Marisol who moves to South Dakota to work on a turkey processing plant after her home island is ravaged by Hurricane Maria. In her author’s note, Cuevas discusses how the inspiration for “Resilient” came from a 2018 Washington Post article about young Puerto Rican adults working at a turkey processing plant after Maria. Many of those young men and women were attending college or working, much like Marisol in the story–she talks about how before the hurricane, she was working part-time and had plans to attend college. “Resilient” is, ultimately, a story about hope, and how it’s okay to bend as long as you never break.

BELLY (Desiree S. Evans) │ “Belly” is an utterly lyrical, imaginative story about the inner power of teenage girls. It follows 17-year-old Jaima, who carries the river that runs along the town where she lives in her belly. The river is such a strong motif, and I loved how Evans experimented with the idea of something as strong as a river being inside a teenage girl. I also liked the small-town social dynamics present in “Belly”, and how there is a large cast of characters packed into a small amount of pages. Though the book is ultimately rooted in realism, the river motif adds an interesting magical layer which made this story so, so good.

I’ve been so excited for FORESHADOW: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading and Writing YA. ✨

Conceptualised and edited by Emily X.R. Pan (@exrpan) and Nova Ren Suma (@novaren), this is a collection of short stories by new and upcoming, diverse voices in Young Adult literature.🥀

I initially read the selected stories when they were up on the Foreshadow YA website. Handpicked and introduced by stalwarts of YA lit like Laurie Halse Anderson, Jason Reynolds, Sabaa Tahir and more, the stories range from contemporary and romance to magic realism, scifi and horror.

Absolutely loved the range, the top notch writing, the delicious weirdness of the stories in the collection. If these new writers don’t get their big breaks real soon, that would be a bummer.

Aside from the stories, the FORESHADOW anthology is also a study in the craft of writing. Each story has a note from the author, an analysis by Emily X.R. Pan or Nova Ren Suma, and a writing prompt for readers who are also writers. Additionally there are interviews with the editors and advice to writers, all of which makes it an essential collection for readers who intend to hone their own craft.

Thanks to @algonquinyr and @netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this. I thoroughly enjoyed this compact collection.